Chapter Forty-Five: The Calamity of Qixi (Part One)

Festival, in ancient times written as "卩," represents the posture of kneeling and bowing during the sacrificial ceremonies of the Yin people, while sitting was the posture for leisure and rest, both involving kneeling with both knees on the ground. Thus, "卩" carries the meaning of ritual worship. Combined with the characters for "person" and "mouth," it forms "fate"—for in ancient times, human sacrifice was the earliest form of ritual, meant to secure peace and ward off calamity. As time passed, animal sacrifice replaced human sacrifice, and the days of these rituals gradually became known as festivals.

The Qixi Festival, formerly called the Festival of Pleading for Skill, is said to be a night when, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, women would gather in their courtyards to pray to the Weaver Girl star for wisdom and dexterity, hence the name "pleading for skill." Its origins lie in the worship of nature and women’s needlework, with offerings and ritual ever at its core.

But as time moved on to our present age, the Qixi Festival is no longer about venerating immortals, nor do women compete in skill. With the disappearance of these rites, the immortals no longer bless, and fate is left unguarded. On the night of Qixi, evil spirits often roam, abducting men and women to offer them to wicked deities. Thus, Qixi has become not a festival, but a calamity!

So, let this serve as a warning: however lovely the Qixi Festival may be, do not linger outside late at night, lest misfortune befall you and you fall prey to evil spirits, meeting a tragic end as a sacrifice.

All of the above is pure nonsense from the author—if it matches your circumstances, consider yourself unlucky.

"Welcome to the House of Terror!" The voice was like the murmur of a cruel and deranged old man, sending chills down one’s spine and making the hairs stand on end.

Loading complete. You are now entering Team Survival Mode: Normal.

This mode provides a script synopsis and may randomly generate side quests and special endings.

Upon clearing the script, you will receive a randomly selected special item as a reward.

The script synopsis will now play. Once it finishes, the game will begin immediately.

Another Qixi Festival has come. You and your girlfriend have celebrated wildly into the late night. Exhausted, you part with a kiss and head your separate ways.

It is now one in the morning. All that stands between you and your home is the forest ahead.

At this moment, a forest appears on the screen—a tranquil night, a gentle breeze, the leaves rustling softly. In the sky glows a bright full moon. A solitary traveler walks slowly beneath its pale light, and all seems beautiful and serene.

You step into the forest and notice the moonlight suddenly vanishes. Looking up, you see it is hidden behind a patch of dark clouds. Though there is no moonlight to guide you, you know this path well. Humming a tune, you make your way through the darkness.

Suddenly, the scene shifts. Moonlight returns and, under its glow, an ancient mansion abruptly appears. Dark clouds obscure the entire sky, leaving only a sliver of cold, desolate moonlight to fall upon the old estate. Beside the house lies a pond, reflecting the moonlight and the mansion’s gloomy silhouette. By the water, a window is lit.

A deathly chill fills the mansion. Though summer is not yet over, the trees here are already withered. The walls are in ruins, covered in dust. The pond shimmers with an eerie light. Silence, gloom, and ill fortune shroud this place. In your memory, nothing stood here before. Instinctively, you want to leave, but just then, the light in the window goes out.

The camera abruptly zooms from distance to close-up, fixing on the water-facing window, where a ghastly face suddenly emerges.

As if bewitched, you find your body moving forward, entering the old mansion against your will.

At this point, the system voice finally ceases. Luo Hanya’s vision brightens, and he finds himself standing inside a grand hall.

This appears to be the main room. Inside stands an enormous purple sandalwood table carved with dragons, upon which rests a verdigris bronze cauldron over three feet tall. A grand painting of an ink dragon hangs above, waiting for the hour to be marked. On one side sits a gilded ritual vessel, on the other a glass basin. On the floor, two rows of sixteen nanmu wood armchairs create an air of extraordinary luxury and grandeur.

Luo Hanya is secretly astonished, knowing this must be the residence of great wealth or power. By the red candlelight, he thinks he sees a dark shadow by the window, but in the blink of an eye, it is gone. Rubbing his eyes, he finds nothing there and wonders if he was mistaken.

Surveying the room to get his bearings, Luo Hanya’s gaze finally settles on the four strangers standing beside him.

First is a male player, whose name, to his surprise, is “Ye Liangchen,” currently level nine, bearing the title “Foolish Boxer.” Judging by appearance, Ye Liangchen is tall and powerfully built, with well-developed muscles, standing about 1.9 meters tall. His face, that of a man in his early twenties, wears an expression of supreme confidence.

A little farther away stand a young man and woman, both looking to be under twenty—likely students like Luo Hanya himself. The boy is delicate-featured, the girl a charming beauty. Their heights are perfectly offset, giving them the classic “adorable height difference.” Both are slender—a handsome couple, though their levels are not high, only seven.

Their names are even more unusual: the boy is named Qingming, the girl Hetu, together evoking the renowned painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.”

By the door stands a female player at level ten. If first glances at a peerless beauty can make a lasting impression, then this player, “Menghen Lige,” is such a beauty.

Her brows are as elegant as bird’s wings, her skin as fair as snow, her waist slender as a drawn cord, her teeth like pearls, her eyes cool and clear—a lotus blooming out of the world’s dust, inspiring awe and admiration.

As Luo Hanya observes Menghen Lige, she meets his gaze. He feels a chill run through him; her stare is like ten thousand years of black ice, utterly devoid of human warmth. Such a merciless look could only belong to an assassin or the coldest of women.

Looking up, Luo Hanya notices her title: “Death Reaper.” He shudders involuntarily, grumbling inwardly, “Heavens, can’t we just play the game? Is she a high-risk killer or something?”

“What are you looking at?” the short-haired beauty suddenly asks.

Her gaze locks onto Luo Hanya, expression icy, as if she might cut him down if he can’t give a satisfactory answer.

Knowing it’s rude to stare, Luo Hanya forces an awkward smile and stammers, “Oh, it’s nothing, really. You’re just so beautiful, I couldn’t help but look a little longer.”

“Hmph,” Menghen Lige remains as cold as ever, but Ye Liangchen scoffs, giving Luo Hanya a contemptuous glance and saying, “Haven’t you seen a pretty girl before? Don’t embarrass us men. Look at you, drooling like a fool.”

Ye Liangchen seems to be getting more and more worked up, berating Luo Hanya as if he were worthless, and shows no sign of stopping.

“Hey, that’s enough! It’s perfectly normal to glance at a pretty girl, right? If we want to beat this scenario, we’ll need our friend Han Crow’s help. Why not let him analyze the script for us?” Unable to take it any longer, Qingming, who is clearly intent on clearing the game, steps in to interrupt the overzealous Ye Liangchen.

Just then, a system message draws everyone’s attention: The main quest has been triggered.